Ryan Reynolds is freaking hilarious. He’s always been hilarious, but a series of missteps in the murky labyrinth of Hollywood has, for years, left him in the awkward position of being a charismatic movie star/comedian with no proper venue — until, now. After years of pushing from Reynolds and the co-creators of is superhero flick Deadpool, the film crushed the record for biggest R-rated opening ever. Equal parts badass and smartass, in Deadpool Reynolds has finally found his ultimate talent showcase. Now he’s pointed his comedic brilliance at none other than the enigmatic (and seemingly unraveling) Kanye West. And, man, is it good.
For those unaware, Kanye did SNL a few weeks back to promote his new album, The Life of Pablo. And while the release of Pablo was a bizarre affair to say the least, a recording of West’s alleged rant backstage ahead of the SNL gig — which includes such gems as West’s decleration that he’s “50 percent more influential” than Stanley Kubrick and Paul the Apostle (of The Bible fame), was the latest straw that has prompted many to question if West may be, finally, losing total control of his own ego. For reference, we’ve embedded the rant below:
So how does Deadpool figure in? Reynolds’ portrayal of the beloved Marvel anti-hero has been so popular that an online petition for Reynolds to host Saturday Night Live in character as Deadpool has begun to make the rounds. And that was all Reynolds needed to create a brilliantly hilarious send-up to Kanye’s rant.
Deadpool, it seems, was already asked to host SNL — way back in the ‘90s. Unfortunately, his ego got the best of him as he was caught in his own ego-driven rant — which is eerily similar to Kanye’s.
“Listen up, Lorne Michaels,” he begins. “SNL took my f**cking Life of Pablo album without asking. Now I’m bummed!”
He then follows in Kanye’s footsteps by explaining in detail how much more influential he is than a hilarious collection of characters, which we’ve outlined here for posterity. According to the rant, Deadpool is 50 percent more influential than MC Hammer, the Apostle Judas Iscariot, and, of course, the Kia Sorento. In addition, Deadpool is 10 percent more influential than Barbara Bush, The Muppets, and Bob Newhart, and 60 percent more influential than the iPhone 5, shredded cheese, and Dr. Ruth.
He’s not all bravado, though. Deadpool does admit he’s 7 percent less influential than the Urban Dictionary.
But our favorite part? Deadpool’s trade of Kanye’s Taylor Swift callout for Rip Taylor. Now that is some genius random referencing.
It’s not clear if Reynold’s has any inclination to actually host SNL in character. And frankly, after a skit or two, it seems like the one-trick-pony joke of Reynolds in a flamboyant red outfit pretending he’s an action hero, who himself is pretending to be other characters within SNL skits might get old pretty quickly.
That said, it’s clear that Deadpool is the character that Reynolds was born to play. And it’s great to see him, finally, in a part worthy of his incredible comedic skills. Cheers, Mr. Reynolds. Well played.
